How to Refresh Your Kitchen on Any Budget, From $100 to $10,000
With the right ingredients you can make this key room more stylish and functional, whether you spend $100 or $10,000
Laura Gaskill
12 November 2017
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance checklist. My favorite pieces to write center around the emotional aspects of home and savoring life's simple pleasures. Get my bi-weekly email: https://www.lauragaskill.com/thesimplelist/
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance... More
Maybe you’re dreaming of a full kitchen renovation someday (but that day is a long way off), or perhaps you like your current kitchen but want to change a few components. If this sounds like your situation, a kitchen refresh could be just the thing.
Even without reconfiguring the layout of the space, there’s a lot to consider, from small items, such as new cabinet hardware and lighting, to major changes, such as new benchtops and appliances. And whether your budget is $100 or $10,000, it can be a challenge to decide what to prioritise and what to put on the back burner.
Use this kitchen refresh plan as your starting point, and customise it to work with your space and budget.
Even without reconfiguring the layout of the space, there’s a lot to consider, from small items, such as new cabinet hardware and lighting, to major changes, such as new benchtops and appliances. And whether your budget is $100 or $10,000, it can be a challenge to decide what to prioritise and what to put on the back burner.
Use this kitchen refresh plan as your starting point, and customise it to work with your space and budget.
If your budget is around $100
Change the wall colour. Between cabinetry and appliances, kitchens generally have limited wall space – which means it won’t take much paint to cover it.
If you do the painting yourself, your only costs will be a tin of paint (four-or-so litres will probably do it, though definitely measure your space to work out the right amount) and basic painting supplies.
If you have cash left, use it to pick up a new art print and pop it into a ready-made frame to decorate your freshly painted wall.
Change the wall colour. Between cabinetry and appliances, kitchens generally have limited wall space – which means it won’t take much paint to cover it.
If you do the painting yourself, your only costs will be a tin of paint (four-or-so litres will probably do it, though definitely measure your space to work out the right amount) and basic painting supplies.
If you have cash left, use it to pick up a new art print and pop it into a ready-made frame to decorate your freshly painted wall.
If your budget is around $300
Change the wall colour, put up a new art print and then swap out a light fixture. One swap for tired lighting can make a huge difference in how your kitchen looks and feels – and there are so many great budget lighting options available, you don’t have to break the bank to get an on-trend look. If you have more room in your budget, replace all of the kitchen lights, or splurge on a fancier pendant over the island.
Change the wall colour, put up a new art print and then swap out a light fixture. One swap for tired lighting can make a huge difference in how your kitchen looks and feels – and there are so many great budget lighting options available, you don’t have to break the bank to get an on-trend look. If you have more room in your budget, replace all of the kitchen lights, or splurge on a fancier pendant over the island.
If your budget is around $500
Paint, hang art, get new lighting and add open shelves. Open shelving certainly has its fans – and its critics – but one thing is certain: it does wonders for small spaces. Even replacing one small upper cabinet with a set of open shelves can make your kitchen feel more spacious, and provides an opportunity to display favourite dishes and accessories.
How Open Shelving Can Solve Your Kitchen Woes
Paint, hang art, get new lighting and add open shelves. Open shelving certainly has its fans – and its critics – but one thing is certain: it does wonders for small spaces. Even replacing one small upper cabinet with a set of open shelves can make your kitchen feel more spacious, and provides an opportunity to display favourite dishes and accessories.
How Open Shelving Can Solve Your Kitchen Woes
If your budget is around $700
What’s next? After the fresh paint, art, lighting and open shelves, consider springing for a new tap. Replacing a kitchen tapware costs less than doing the whole sink (that’s next) and can be a DIY job for handy homeowners.
What’s next? After the fresh paint, art, lighting and open shelves, consider springing for a new tap. Replacing a kitchen tapware costs less than doing the whole sink (that’s next) and can be a DIY job for handy homeowners.
If your budget is around $1,000
If you have more wiggle room in your budget, splash out on a new sink to go with that new tapware. Keep in mind that if your new sink is a different style than the old one, you may face additional installation costs to fit it properly into the cabinetry and benchtop.
Read up on kitchen renovations
If you have more wiggle room in your budget, splash out on a new sink to go with that new tapware. Keep in mind that if your new sink is a different style than the old one, you may face additional installation costs to fit it properly into the cabinetry and benchtop.
Read up on kitchen renovations
If your budget is around $1,500
Paint, art, new lighting, open shelves, a new sink and then a makeover for your cabinets. Brand-new cabinetry is one of the higher-cost items in a kitchen renovation, so if you can avoid it, do. If your cabinets are in pretty good shape, repaint them, following the necessary steps to prepare them for their new finish. Then replace the old cabinet knobs and pulls. Know that if your cabinets need to be refaced – which involves replacing rather than just repainting the doors – the cost will be significantly more.
Paint, art, new lighting, open shelves, a new sink and then a makeover for your cabinets. Brand-new cabinetry is one of the higher-cost items in a kitchen renovation, so if you can avoid it, do. If your cabinets are in pretty good shape, repaint them, following the necessary steps to prepare them for their new finish. Then replace the old cabinet knobs and pulls. Know that if your cabinets need to be refaced – which involves replacing rather than just repainting the doors – the cost will be significantly more.
If your budget is around $5,000
Along with updating the cabinets, installing new benchtops is one of the biggest-impact changes you can make to your kitchen. There’s a wide range of options when it comes to great-looking kitchen benchtop materials – there’s a huge cost difference between, for instance, a timber benchtop from Ikea and marble – so hunt around until you find something you like that fits your budget.
Along with updating the cabinets, installing new benchtops is one of the biggest-impact changes you can make to your kitchen. There’s a wide range of options when it comes to great-looking kitchen benchtop materials – there’s a huge cost difference between, for instance, a timber benchtop from Ikea and marble – so hunt around until you find something you like that fits your budget.
If your budget is around $10,000
Paint, lighting, open shelves, a new sink, refreshed cabinets, new benchtops… what’s left?
If you have more room in your budget, it’s time to choose new appliances. To avoid extra installation costs, select appliances that fit in the same space the old ones occupied.
10 Simple-Yet-Stylish Budget Kitchen Ideas
Paint, lighting, open shelves, a new sink, refreshed cabinets, new benchtops… what’s left?
If you have more room in your budget, it’s time to choose new appliances. To avoid extra installation costs, select appliances that fit in the same space the old ones occupied.
10 Simple-Yet-Stylish Budget Kitchen Ideas
Tell us
What would you most like to change about your kitchen? Share your woes in the Comments below. And if you found this story helpful, like it, bookmark it, save the photos and share your thoughts below. Join the conversation.
More
Find a kitchen professional to help with your refresh
What would you most like to change about your kitchen? Share your woes in the Comments below. And if you found this story helpful, like it, bookmark it, save the photos and share your thoughts below. Join the conversation.
More
Find a kitchen professional to help with your refresh
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The article is helpful and all the suggestions are great, but it would be better if they showed before and after pictures of kitchens that were actually shabby and run down rather than kitchens that were great looking to begin with. That first picture for instance, looked like a very nice kitchen, then they're just implying the wall color was changed. It was already a nice kitchen. How about budget friendly ideas for really old and tired kitchens? Have some pics that actually show quite a difference for the kind of kitchens that most people would have and not ones that are already show stoppers?
Great read, your tips are really helpful! I recently renovated my kitchen and planning my budget was really important. To estimate the cost of my kitchen renovation I used this free online estimator https://app.mykukun.com/Kitchen-Renovation-Cost. It’s always important to have a notion about the budget to choose and eliminate things to stay on budget. Also I made sure I had a reserve of money in case of unexpected costs. Thanks for your advice.
Cabinet refacing is a great option for those with good cabinet frames that just need to replace their doors and drawers, laminating the cabinet boxes in the new color & style. Huge budget-friendly option!
Your countertop choice will alter the budget drastically. Some stone options can eat up almost half of the budget. When deciding on countertop material, make sure you have expanded the budget to allow and be reasonable. If you are ok with a manmade material, Corian (Solid Surface) Private Collection is much more economical and has the look of honed stones. It's just as durable as stone's and offers that rich and sophisticated look homeowners want.
Learn more about Corian Private Collection and see colors.